this is sears. .at this hour, the first funeral services are being held for two young victims of the connecticut shooting tragedy. good afternoon. i'm steve sanders. and i'm dina bair. we welcome our viewers who are watching us around the country on wgn america and on the web. investigators are working around-the-clock searching for answers. authorities are looking for clues. the 20 year-old took his own life as police responded to the school. in a news conference just a few moments ago state police say the

investigation could take months. >> we did see a significant evidence. we are analyzing and will analyze. it is a very painstaking process. arrangements are being made to move furniture and supplies from that school to a new location so that glasses can resume. there's a story behind every life taken. little by little we are finding out more about the victims. two of the 26 victims from the school are being laid to rest there. as we mourn their death we're learning more about some of them. >>charlotte daniel, olivia,

>> president obama reads a first names of the 20 children killed. we now know so much more about some of them. 6 year old jack pinto loved sports. especially football. his favorite player was victoc cruz. cruz paid tribute. 6 year old noah posner to of a beer rambunctious in new how to get whatever he wanted by batting his long eyelashes and looking at you with those big blue eyes. >>this is home video of anna pl aying the piano with her brother. the family just moved here two months ago from canada. 7 year old grace mcdonald love

wearing pink and was always smiling. she also loved art. >>she had a passion for teaching. she has emerged as a hero. she died trying to shield her students from the gunman. she wanted to be teachers and she was 3. she loved her kids. she talked about them all the time. the principal died while lunging at the gunman. the married mother of two daughters and three stepdaughters had been in a meeting when the gunshots rang out. she told everybody to go and hide while she and another teacher ran out. >> i'm not angry. i'm not angry.

i am just very sad. >> god has called them home. for those of us who remain let us find the strength to carry on. and make our country worthy of their memory. >> there are stories of survival. when little girls custer said she is the only survivor of the first grade class because she played dead a mom friends or kill the rounder. >> shh presidentduring a multi-faith memorial service last night president obama offered words of comfort to the people of newtown connecticut.

the president also read all the names of the lives lost. with time you told survivors. the fourth time we've console the families of victims. earlier in the day president obama met privately with relatives of the victims. the debate over gun control is heating up. many lawmakers are calling for the renewal of federal assault weapons ban. president obama promised to use the power of the white house to prevent similar tragedies. california senator says she would introduce a new gun control legislation at the beginning of next year's congressional session. >> the same bill will be introduced in the house. the bill to ban assault weapons. he says he believes the school

principal should have had her own gun as a means of self- defense. multiple gun control bills have been introduced. not a single one has advanced to a floor vote. security procedures are being examined and reexamined. police are at the school to reassure parents they're ready for emergencies. the plan is to put police officers outside of all schools. he received many phone calls from parents of preschool kids expressing their frustration and concern. schools across the chicago area are reviewing security plans. police stationed outside of schools the students arrive. they say they're doing this for parents, mostly for the children. if everybody else feels safe that is great. i think the kids need to know that their loved and people care

about them. they can be safe in school because they're supposed to be. they should be thinking about class and not thinking about someone coming in through the front door. chicago area schools are responding to what happened in the town. she's instructing schools have not conducted emergency drills to do so immediately. parents dropping off their children on the north side say they know no safety plan as 100 percent. knowing that the school canucks drills on a regular basis gives them peace of mind. i think it is really good that they have counselors and everybody is communicating about this kid they're working towards what they're supposed to be doing. i think you're really puts them on

high alert. one police officer says parents approached him this morning concerned that the police presence might actually scare the children. the connecticut shootings have prompted a swift response from the chicago public school system. c-p-s is providing grief counselors to students and staff where needed. the district is also reviewing its existing safety and emergency management plans. c-p-s officials say the district is always honing its safety strategies because of the frequency of school shootings. c-p-s says it's been vigilant in conducting drills for tornadoes, fires and lockdown situations, which would cover a school shooting.

at schools around the chicago area security procedures are being examined and re-examined. wgn's judy wang is live in riverside where police are at schools to reassure parents that they are ready for emergencies. coming up next what we're learning about the man from indiana who's accused of threatening to shoot up a school. also ahead,the search in kansas for a gunman, after two police officers were shot and killed in the line of duty. plus, the speaker of the house offers up a proposal to avert the fiscal cliff and it includes higher taxes for some americans. hello, i'm alex trebek. for over 10 years now, i've been representing

the colonial penn life insurance company and i'm here today to talk with some of their insurance representatives about their guaranteed acceptance life insurance. that was a really good point. hi, alex. hi, everyone. i thought it'd be interesting to hear from you what your customers say are some of the things they like best about colonial penn's whole life insurance. who's gonna start? well, it's guaranteed acceptance for people over age 50. they don't have to take a physical or answer any health questions. and it gives them peace of mind knowing that their family has some insurance to help cover funeral costs. and other final expenses. great point, and that's something everybody needs to plan for, especially in this economy. it costs just $9.95 a month per unit. it's an affordable way to provide protection for loved ones. yes, and that rate never goes up. and their coverage never goes down because of their age. they can get permanent insurance at a price that fits into their budget. alex: do you want to help protect your loved ones from the burden of final expenses? if you're between 50 and 85, you should call colonial penn now.

for just $9.95 a month per unit you can get quality insurance that does not require any health questions or a medical exam. your rate will never increase and your coverage will never decrease. that's guaranteed. now whether you're getting new insurance or supplementing what you already have, call now and ask one of their representatives about a plan that meets your needs. they're waiting to hear from you, so call now.

kill dozens of ashcans every year. seven suspected of killing two police officers is that after a two-hour standoff. they're checking the list thisoutpace suspicious vehicle. there were killed following a tip this morning. authorities surrounded a nearby home or a 22 year-old suspect was inside. authorities

fired tear gas into the home. officers opened fire. they killed the suspect. that is not clear whether that man fired at officers house speaker john boehner is reportedly making some concessions. in his latest proposal to avoid the fiscal cliff. boehner is now open to raising taxes on families who make more than one million dollars. everyone else's taxes would stay the same. president obama has called for tax hikes for incomes more than 250-thousand dollars. boehner now supports raising the government's borrowing limit, which most republicans have opposed. in return, he wants spending cuts and reforms to entitlement programs and the tax system. the president has said he would negotiate that, when they can agree on taxes. several news sources are secretary, and so for suffered a concussion. the state department says she will be keeping in touch with their staff and other

officials that she works from home. because of her how she will not be testifying there is a day before foreign affairs committee. several news sources are reporting that president obama will nominate massachusetts senator john kerry as his next secretary of state. secretary clinton is expected to retire from the post as part of the president's cabinet re- shuffle for his second term in office. kerry serves as chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. he was the democratic nominee for president in 2004. page $600,000 which is actually less than it was suspected to go for. later, the major changes implemented today for the c-t-a. and, still to come this midday online resources to help you figure out what fiscal cliff taxes could cost you. and later in lunchbreak: we're making roasted butternut squash soup and shortrib gnocchi.

will the shooting tragedy in townnewtown,ct. the nra has shut down the facebook page presumably temporarily to avoid serving as a forum for on civil debate. the site became unavailable to the public about 10 hours after the shootings in connecticut. stocks of dancing across the board. investigate

president obama and house speaker mad to there. there's a new tool to help you figure out how much some of the different options being debated may cause you. graded by the tax policy center. it helps you estimate your tax bill and do these competing proposals from republicans and democrats as well as what would happen if we did plunge over that fiscal cliff. some changes bubbling hasas pepsi shilling to artificial sweeteners on cans across the country. pepsi is also promising a major ad campaign.

>>the hobbit more than met expectations. bringing an almost $85 million in its first three days. breaking a record for the best december debut. next the judge in the manslaughter case of richard daley's nephew recuses himself from the trial. also ahead this midday, why today may be the best day to order holiday gifts online. plus live music this midday from jamie lono she was a contestant season 2 of the voice.

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the first judge withdrew this morning. watched arthur hill has

recused himself from the case. he could be fair and impartial. the special prosecutor has asked that a judge be assigned to this case from of sight of county to avoid the appearance of impropriety. the nephew of the former mayor was back in court today after having a week to consider along with attorneys from both sides. whether or not to do request a new judge after judge hill revealed that he was a prosecutor under his uncle.

police said he was the aggressor. hundred pounds in about a foot separated the two. his attorneys and not happy with today's decision. . >> really all raised the handling this for many years. i have been doing this for many years. i has absolutely no reason to doubt the integrity ear. >> matter what is done, this case has dragged on. no matter who it goes too, a judge is going to be subject to extreme criticism by members of the media or outside the media. everybody is going to think that the fix is in. we do not yet

know the next court date. it all depends now on the illinois supreme court. their new applications for smart phones and other devices that allow year to receive and send messages to the 311 service. the system allows you to submit a service request and track its progress. an application will help make government more transparent and accountable. >> the agency is adding service to several popular tramlines. those changes, on the heels of a wide reduction of service. the cta board recently voted to eliminate a dozen bus routes. people in some areas might find

that they get better service lot of this will not get any at all. the plan approved back in september will not be funded by increased fares or taxes. if you've been putting off your holiday shopping today's the day to start with free shipping day. more than 16-hundred retailers are offering free shipping deals with guaranteed delivery by christmas eve. some sites will make you spend a minimum so be sure to check free shipping-day dot-com for details. so far this holiday season, comscore says nearly $34 billion has been spent online. still to come this midday. tom skilling has your full forecast!

for months, i had this deep pain all over my body. it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive

or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. i love how clean and healthy my mouth is right now. i wish i could keep it this way. [ male announcer ] now you can. with the crest pro-health clinical line. used together, they help keep your teeth 97% as clean as a dental cleaning. the toothpaste actually reduces plaque. and the rinse reaches all areas and is clinically proven to help prevent plaque regrowth. crest pro-health clinical line. together, they help keep your teeth 97% as clean as a dental cleaning. crest. life opens up when you do.

the pacific northwest is being hit by a powerful winter storm that's blamed for at least one death. a man was killed in an accident along i-90 in washington state. a blizzard warning remains in effect through tonight in the cascade mountains in washington and oregon.. while coastal areas of the northwest are getting heavy rain, high winds, and big waves. tom, is there a winter storm headed our way? >> interesting news is it looks like the bulk of it may fall as rain. the big snow would be to the north and west of us. there will be an icy interlude. temperatures really crashed thursday afternoon and night. the strike continues. this above

normal streak. bnl 20 consecutive days above average. that period has been 11.2 degrees above normal nearly four degrees above where was last year. there's a storm on the way. there's quite a spread from 27 hundredths to on our west model 2.79 in.. the thing we will unnoticed most will be the powerful winds and winter blast that follows. the merger will fall from the 40's into the 20s during the day. this will be the coldest of brick of hair so far this young winter season. a pretty good storm passing south of us. a little bit of

precipitation south of us as you can see me right there. advisor is for possible thunderstorms down to the sock was. 13 states out to the west and a patchwork of weather advisers. the kill warnings along the coastline out there as the storms powerful winds sweep into the area. he always see a big buckle and no judge stream. that is what develops. if we could have a

period of accumulating snow on the backside of this. there is a good shot and some snow christmas day. still showing up on both models. we may get a white christmas. 39 degrees is our current temperature. the jet stream is supporting the storm and is forming right here between the warm air in bitterly cold air. the of temperatures at 43 in seattle and 43 below up that fairbanks alaska. that is de incredible temperature disparity. three degrees cooler is where our temperature is right now. these readings are still mild by comparison to what we normally see this time of the year. we've had minor rain that within the last couple of days.

the big story is the above normal temperatures. 36 at mchenry. this is the oregon coast. this is the storm coming on shore. the rain is falling on the coastline. they change to snow in the mountains. these clouds are unrelated to that storm. our forecast shows that we stay partly cloudy tonight. clouds will be the big story. no organized precipitation read a way out of this weather system. the changes later in the week. here we will track the storm around the country. the energy begins to settle south word. the storm plugs into gulf moisture. you'll see the clouds begin

assembling as the moisture flows. the rain spread to appear. not quite by wednesday evening but wednesday night the way iniran develops. we're just moving the storms dynamics into the u.s. copper air weather balloon that work. the can be accurately sampled. you'll see refinements in the track. one thing for sure, here is the storm on wednesday with its powerful wind blowing in from the south. look as it passes. 40 mi. per hour wind gusts. the the the temperature is well done. as far as now goes this is a first- rate on where snow will accumulate. believe me these numbers are going to go up. this

is the biggest room to come into the midwest this winter season. it will be followed by another snowstorm perhaps christmas day. prospects for a white christmas the not-. upper level disturbance passes, that is why it is cloudy. we'll keep a high temperature of 40 today. tonight extensive cloudiness. mostly cloudy, breezy. above normal temperatures. diving into the

20s late in the day. even though we will miss the snowstorm. the way it looks now in the city it will be an interesting day with perhaps i'll see ramifications if the temperatures drop later on. hello, i'm alex trebek. for over 10 years now, i've been representing the colonial penn life insurance company and i'm here today to talk with some of their insurance representatives about their guaranteed acceptance life insurance. that was a really good point. hi, alex. hi, everyone. i thought it'd be interesting to hear from you what your customers say are some of the things they like best about colonial penn's whole life insurance. who's gonna start? well, it's guaranteed acceptance for people over age 50. they don't have to take a physical or answer any health questions. and it gives them peace of mind knowing that their family has some

insurance to help cover funeral costs. and other final expenses. great point, and that's something everybody needs to plan for, especially in this economy. it costs just $9.95 a month per unit. it's an affordable way to provide protection for loved ones. yes, and that rate never goes up. and their coverage never goes down because of their age. they can get permanent insurance at a price that fits into their budget. alex: do you want to help protect your loved ones from the burden of final expenses? if you're between 50 and 85, you should call colonial penn now. for just $9.95 a month per unit you can get quality insurance that does not require any health questions or a medical exam. your rate will never increase and your coverage will never decrease. that's guaranteed. now whether you're getting new insurance or supplementing what you already have, call now and ask one of their representatives about a plan that meets your needs. they're waiting to hear from you,

so call now.

time for sports. the bears started the season seven- and- one, but now they will need help just to make the playoffs. bears hosting the first- place packers yesterday. bears up seven nothing in the second, until aaron rodgers hits james jones for a 29- yard score his first of three touchdowns. seven- all just before halftime... jay cutler throws a bad pass right to casey heyward that sets up another packers touchdown. still down in the third, and the bears had second- and- goal from the one, but failed to score on three straight plays, including a pass interference penalty on alshon jeffrey. bears lose their sixth straight to green bay, 21-13 everybody will be held accountable. even if that means jobs. everybody on offense should be held accountable. i love this game. i am very passionate. right now it is affecting me way too much.

the vikings looking to take advantage of the bears' loss. they're tied with the rams in the second, when adrian peterson breaks off an 82- yard run for a touchdown. he rushed for a season- high 212 yards, and is now 294 shy of the single- season record. the vikings win 36-22, and overtake the bears for the sixth and final playoff spot. the bears and vkings are both eight- and six but the tie- breaker puts the bears in seventh place and out of the playoffs. the bears still have a chance if they can win their final two games against the cardinals and lions. the vikings, meanwhile, play the texans and packers. that's a look at sports. your live illinois lottery drawing is next.

>>winning pick 3 9,3,8 time fo rtheor the pick 4 games. winning pick 4 numbers 0,3,4,2

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in medical watch. the american academy of pediatrics says a preservative that contains mercury should not be banned as an ingredient in vaccines. that preservative is thimerosal. back in 1999 the academy called for its removal over concerns that children receiving multiple shots containing thimerosal might get too much mercury and develop autism or other problems as a result. since then, newer research has concluded there's no evidence that thimerosal-containing vaccines cause autism. a new report shows obesity is now a bigger health crisis than hunger and it's the leading cause of disabilities around the world.

researchers looked at health data over 20 years and found what they call a massive shift in global health trends. with the exception of sub- saharan africa. obesity rates soared by 82 percent globally over two decades. there was a 100 percent increase in obesity in middle eastern countries. and for the first time, non- communicable dieases like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are the leading causes of years spent sick or injured. the findings are published in the british medical journal the lancet. lunchbreak is next. we're making comfort food for winter. shortrib gnoochi and roasted butternut squash soup! that was me... the day i learned i had to start insulin for my type 2 diabetes. me... thinking my only option was the vial and syringe dad used. and me... discovering once-daily levemir® flexpen®. flexpen® is prefilled. doesn't need refrigeration for up to 42 days. no drawing from a vial. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. flexpen® is insulin delivery... my way. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic

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making shortrib gnocchi and a roasted butternut squash soup. mark chmieleski is the executive chef of ovie bar and grill on north canal street. thanks for coming infor the roasted red vegetables i take the parsnip. it is called an oblique cut. we are goign to throw inng to throw it into a bowl. take a little olive oil. toss it up. some salt. put a little pepper on it. we put it into our oven.

you can make most a day before. you want to work it until everything is incorporated. you do not want to over work it. we are going to drop it into the water. i like to put a little dent in them so they will cook all the way through. we cook

them until they float. then take them out and put them in some olive oil .. a lot of years cooking. the more color the more flavor. we are going to take some red wine and reduce that down. we add some stock to it. this is a veal stock. >>slowly heat it up.

>>it is a wicked easy dish. >> you should win some kind of

award for making so much food in such a little amount of time. for today's recipe, or to watch the segment again, log on to wgn tv dot com slash midday. mark chmieleski , thanks so much for joining us. ovie bar and grill is at 120 n canal street to learn more go to: ovie bar and grill dot com.

it looks interesting later this week. it is kind of quiet so far. this is the satellite view of the country. we have one

storm over us. you could see the precipitation being detected by radar. much of this passing to the south of us. another system is out on the west coast. coming into the northern rockies. that has advisories' out all over the place. the mayor going to track its path across the country. the colors on this map to pick the wind. there are low temperatures sinking into colorado and mexico. proceeding eastward. the gulf moisture starts flooding up into it. the wind starts picking up as you can see. this particular model takes below just stop the loss. south of us. take us over into that when the regime to pick it right there. cold

weather comes in. i'm going to jump ahead in time. i will show you a system that will affect us on christmas day. that thing begins to lift northeastward. by then we have colder air. the storm is only at that plate revving up in the areas affected just west of chicago. shifting to the northwest. temperatures really died later in the day. in fact there's a good 47. palin northwest wind dropping the temperature in the

afternoon. only 25 on friday. 30 on saturday. to better chance of snow perhaps on christmas day. we will keep you posted on the track of the storm. >>thank you for joining us today. >>ñúq